Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) Shares Up 0.5% – Still a Buy?

Shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) traded up 0.5% on Monday . The stock traded as high as $227.95 and last traded at $227.07. 292,712 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 81% from the average session volume of 1,510,187 shares. The stock had previously closed at $225.98.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on BDX shares. Piper Sandler increased their price objective on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $275.00 to $280.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 28th. Barclays lifted their price target on shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from $278.00 to $279.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, February 14th. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 5th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, Becton, Dickinson and Company has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $278.29.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Up 0.8 %

The company has a market cap of $65.41 billion, a P/E ratio of 37.84, a P/E/G ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 0.35. The company’s 50-day moving average is $232.78 and its two-hundred day moving average is $232.29. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a current ratio of 1.13 and a quick ratio of 0.63.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.43 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.00 by $0.43. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a return on equity of 15.74% and a net margin of 8.47%. As a group, equities analysts predict that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 10th will be issued a $1.04 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 10th. This represents a $4.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.83%. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 69.10%.

Becton, Dickinson and Company declared that its board has authorized a share buyback plan on Tuesday, January 28th that permits the company to buyback 10,000,000 outstanding shares. This buyback authorization permits the medical instruments supplier to buy shares of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are usually a sign that the company’s leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP David Shan sold 500 shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, January 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $240.00, for a total transaction of $120,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 5,741 shares in the company, valued at $1,377,840. This trade represents a 8.01 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Michael David Garrison sold 2,838 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, December 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $223.33, for a total transaction of $633,810.54. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 6,141 shares in the company, valued at $1,371,469.53. This represents a 31.61 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 7,363 shares of company stock valued at $1,676,105. 0.36% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Becton, Dickinson and Company

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of BDX. Principal Financial Group Inc. boosted its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 1.5% during the 3rd quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 1,179,715 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $284,429,000 after acquiring an additional 16,918 shares in the last quarter. GSA Capital Partners LLP acquired a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $458,000. CIBC Asset Management Inc boosted its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 5.2% during the third quarter. CIBC Asset Management Inc now owns 56,923 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $13,717,000 after purchasing an additional 2,824 shares in the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC grew its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 9.2% in the third quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 5,867 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $1,415,000 after purchasing an additional 496 shares during the period. Finally, Natixis Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 208.9% during the third quarter. Natixis Advisors LLC now owns 236,682 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $57,064,000 after buying an additional 160,073 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 86.97% of the company’s stock.

About Becton, Dickinson and Company

Becton, Dickinson and Company develops, manufactures, and sells medical supplies, devices, laboratory equipment, and diagnostic products for healthcare institutions, physicians, life science researchers, clinical laboratories, pharmaceutical industry, and the general public worldwide. The company operates in three segments: BD Medical, BD Life Sciences, and BD Interventional.